PM Borissov: Bulgaria May Purchase Eight More F-16 Block 70 Aircrafts From Lockheed Martin

"The acquisition of the F-16 Block 70 aircraft is not just a purchase, but an expression of Bulgaria's desire for irreversible modernization of its armed forces in order to achieve real interoperability with other NATO member states." This was stated by the Prime Minister Boyko Borissov at a meeting with representatives of the American company Lockheed Martin, from which Bulgaria bought fighter jets for the needs of its defense.
The US Ambassador to Bulgaria Hero Mustafa also took part in the conversation.

The focus of the meeting was the long-term cooperation, which is realized thanks to the Industrial Partnership Program between Bulgaria and the United States. In addition to the purely military dimensions of the signed contracts, the partnership envisages the creation of industrial capacity for maintenance and development of acquired capabilities in the future.
"Therefore, we consider the Framework Agreement signed with Lockheed Martin as a very useful tool for the implementation of industrial cooperation under the F-16 Block 70, which will contribute to long-term economic development and competitiveness of our country in this area," said the Prime Minister Boyko Borisov.
He was adamant that thanks to the agreements, the country's unique know-how will be implemented in the Bulgarian industry, which develops activities in the field of security and defense.
The Prime Minister Boyko Borissov noted that the Bulgarian government provided funding in the amount of BGN 300 million for the preparation of the airport infrastructure for the deployment and maintenance of F-16 Block 70 aircraft. The first 100 million BGN were allocated from the budget of the Ministry of Defense in August this year, and the planned infrastructure will be used by the...